Abraham moyer



No. 625,0l. Patented may la, |899.

\ lA. Moyen.

' BRIDGE.

(Application med June 16, 189B.) (No Model.)

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM MOYER, OF KOSOMA, INDIAN TERRITORY.

BRIDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,051, dated May' 16,1899.

Application 'filed I une 16, 1898( Serial No. 683,556. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LABRAHAM MOYER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kosoma, in the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory",have

invented certain new and useful Improve.

ments in Bridges; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the acoompanyin g drawings, and'to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification. y

My invention relates to an improved bridge especially adapted forrivers, such as are numerous in the Indian Territory and other southernparts of the United States. Except at times following a heavy rain thereis but a small volume of water in these rivers and that is generallyhidden from sight by the sand-bars which cover the bed. Owing to rain,however, these rivers often rise very rapidly and form awide and rapidstream of from two to four feet in depth. The effect of such a rise andconsequent increase in the volume of water is to cut the sand of thebottom into numerous channels, which channels are constantly changingand shifting and quickly destroy any roadway that may have previouslyexisted across the bed of vthe stream. By the time the water hassubsided to its normal level the sand has been formed into numerousloosely-packed deep ridges and piles. The moving of teams across such abed is extremely dicult, as it is necessary to pass around or betweenthe ridges and piles of sand, and the looseness thereof renders itimpossible to carry normal loads.

The object of my invention is to provide a bridge which can be easilyand cheaply-built across such a stream and which will form a firm, solidroadway that will not be aected by a sudden rise or by thequicksand-beds, which are numerous in these river-beds, and which renderthe construction of bridges, if any of the ordinary methods arefollowed, very expensive.

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse sectional view of a bridgeembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view.

In constructing my improved bridge I first Vl sink in the bed of theriver below the layer of sand (desgnatedby the letter A) a series ofheavy timbers B, which I will term mudsills.7 On these I secure a tightfioor C, which is of such width as to extend from four to six feetbeyond both sides of the roadway which is constructed thereon, as willbe hereinafter described. To this door C and to the mudsills B, I securethe sills D of the roadway E. These sills D will be from twelve totwentyfour inches high, and the oor or roadwayE will thereby be broughtslightly above the top of the ordinary level of the sand A.

As pointed out above and as shown in the drawings, the lower floor Cextends some distance beyond the sides of the roadway E,-so that anywater which may pass over the latter will not fall directly on the sand,but will be carried by the door C some distance away. The space betweenthel sills D may be filled in with broken stone, sand, or othermaterial.

To further to protect the foundation of the bridge in time of a rise inthe river, I prefer to employ an apron or deflecting-surface F. This isof such width as to extend from the top of the roadway E, over one edgeof which itvprojects slightly, to points beyond the upper edge orupstream side of the Iioor C and is preferably arranged at an angle ofabout forty-five degrees. This apron extends down in the sand A to aboutthe level at which water stands during dry weather and extends the fulllength of the bridge. By this construction and arrangement of parts itwill be seen that during a freshet the water will be carried up over theroadway E and that the foundation of the bridge will not be liable to bedestroyed. v r

The roadway E may, if desired, be made of such width asto permit of therails of a railway being secured thereon, besides providing a carriageor wagon way, or may be used simply to support a railroad-track.

l. In a bridge, the combination of a series of mudsills, a door orcovering secured to said sills, a series of stringers or supplementalsills extending across said floor, and secured thereto; and a roadwaysupported on said stringers, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bridge, the combination of a series IOO of mudsills arranged inthe bed of a stream,

a tight covering secured on said sills, a supplemental structure mountedon and forming a roadway extending transversely of said mudsills, saidmudsills and covering thereof projecting beyond the sides of theroadway, substantially as set forth.

3. In a bridge, the combination of a floor or roadway, a relatively lowsupport for said roadway, and an apron or inclined surface extending inthe direction of the flow of the stream from said roadway to the bed ofthe stream, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bridge Aof the character and for the purpose described, thecombination of a roadway supported slightly above the level of the bedof the stream, an inclined apron extending from one edge of said roadwayinto the bed of the stream; and a supplemental Hoor arranged below saidroadway and projecting beyond the opposite side of said roadway fromsaid apron, as set forth.

5. In a bridge, the combination of a Hoor or roadway, a support for saidoor, an apron or inclined surface extending from the upstream side ofthe bridge to the bed of the stream and adapted to divert the body ofthe stream away from the bed adjacent to the bridge-support,substantially as set forth.

6. In a bridge, the combination of a floor or roadway, a support forsaid iioor adapted to rest on the bed of the stream across which thebridge extends, means arranged on the upstream side of the bridge fordiverting the body of the stream from its normal bed adjacent to thebridge-support, and means on the downstream side of the bridge forprotecting the stream-bed from the water flowing through or over thebridge, substantially7 as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ABRAHAM MOYER.

Witnesses:

W. W. GARDNER, J. W. FREDERICK.

